


Four Friends, A symbiote, and an adventure

by ArisenFromNightmares



Category: Freezing (Anime & Manga), Kirby - All Media Types, Original Work, Persona 4
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Bad Ideas, It'll get Good, Symbiotes - Freeform, fourth wall breaks, future smut to be had, inspired by a Let's Play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 12:33:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14748956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArisenFromNightmares/pseuds/ArisenFromNightmares
Summary: Four individuals from different walks of life meet together every week for lunch, amidst the laughter and hilarity are secrets aplenty. Each of them holds a secret that could test the friendship and ruin the town they call home.





	1. Obligatory four people walk into a bar joke

It’s another day in an unnamed city, people going about their days working for “The Man”, bitching about how politics is now pretty much “My Team” vs. “Your Team”, and everybody trying to keep a damn roof over their heads.

Which makes it a REAL bother when a flaming police car lands in the middle of the intersection and causes a fucking panic!

“ _You need to learn to control your strength, otherwise we’re doing more harm then good at this point!”_ I can’t help but smile at the familiar voice in my head even as she chided me for my recklessness, I call her a “she” but to be honest, who knows if symbiotes even HAVE a gender. She just happens to enjoy sounding like voice actresses I happen to know of, and today it was Wendee Lee. “ _Hey, pay attention Daiken!!!”_ Reflexively having to jump out of the way of another spray of bullets before slamming his fist hard into one of the crooks before turning to look at the other, relishing at the look of fear in his eyes before using his other hand to smack the gun out of the other criminal’s hand before watching him try to run away before getting struck by an oncoming police car.

“That looked like it hurt, I thought the cops were supposed to PROTECT and serve.” I would be rewarded with the sounds of guns being cocked and pointed at my symbiote-encased mug, for all the good i manage to do in an afternoon I’m still the monster after all. “How’re we doing on time?”

“Your time’s up freak now get on the fucking ground! We WILL shoot!” The lead cop was a red-headed man with freckles and a bit of an attitude, either he had some sort of a chip on his shoulder, or he was just a complete dick. “Do it now!!!”

Yep, total dick.

“ _You’re still good, Yukiko just sat down at the table and is ordering the usual round of drinks- Ah, never mind. She ordered herself something alcoholic, you know what that means.”_ My partner wasn’t wrong to be apprehensive, business at the Amagi Inn had taken a bit of a dent thanks to a very public and negative review from a Social Media Influencer. “ _We should probably get moving anyhow, you know how Arnett hates it when you’re late.”_ I would shudder at the thought of a very livid Swiss redhead biting my head off, hopefully metaphorically, but I wouldn’t put it past her to try and make that shit literal one day.

“Open fire!!!” The annoying cap from before would pull the trigger, followed by a few others which bounced off harmlessly against my already enhanced body, hitting the ground in mushed up forms. “What the hell is that thing made of, call for backup now!!!” Seeing a chance for escape, I would leap up onto the ledge of the nearest building and start running across the rooftops without much of an issue, even as the symbiote adjusted my clothes to something more casual.

“Thanks, I really didn’t think I would have time to double back and change. Not with the way Arnett acts.” I sighed before leaping down onto a fire escape and making my way down into the alley, gone was the symbiote-clad vigilante and in its place was a guy about to be late for a lunch date with his friends.

Well, two friends and a very annoyed redhead.

“You’re late. Again.” Arnett would be leaning against her truck: One of those fully loaded four-wheel drive fuckers that were better suited for off-road super rally then being in the city, and yet there she was leaning against it like a pinup model with all those curves in all the right places. “My eyes are up here you ass!” Her tone of voice may have been one full of bite, but when I look up at her, she’s got a grin on her face and giving me a wink. She knew my head was probably in the gutter and loved that she caught me on it.

“Yeah, I know I’m late, but at least I’m not wearing my work gear” I have to point out that I secretly adore her gear: her black jeans and boots, her windbreaker covering up the sleeve of tattoos on her right arm and something that normally showed off her bust. “Not too much dirt on you, things going slow today?”

“Nah, just a lot of bums thinking they can hide out in motels. And this girl doesn’t mind kicking doors in!” She would cackle in triumph while putting an arm around my shoulders and leading us inside the restaurant, meanwhile I can’t help but imagine the frightened looks of families taking their kids on vacation, Johns with their prostitutes, basically anybody who used a hotel that day probably got the shock of their lives. “Hold on, we’re a head short here.”

I see something waving from inside the driver’s side of Arnett’s truck, a brown pudgy looking plush that wasn’t as inanimate as it looked, it would point down at where the door handle would be before hurriedly adjusting the _Los Ingobernables de Japon_ hat that it never left home without.

“You left him inside?!” I rushed over to retrieve my little buddy from inside the behemoth, grinning as he scurried into my arms and adjusted his hat once more before going still. I bet you’re wondering just how a plush Waddle Dee is moving about in the real world, well it’s not the hat. L.I.J. aren’t exactly the wish granting types of chums. “Well, at least you’re still as spick and span as I left you this morning.”

“Geez, you act like I was gonna throw the little guy in the backseat where I keep the animals. Those idiots would cover him up in tobacco spit, and you’d never let me hear the end of it.” Arnett would stop to let her hair out of its ponytail with a happy sigh, even then I really can’t help but sneak a peek at her gorgeous posterior. “Keep that up and I’m gonna start charging you my old rates, and you know I don’t run cheap.”

I groan and start walking inside the restaurant alongside her, the hostess shooting them an odd look as if it wasn’t everyday that a bail bondswoman, a semi-decently dressed twenty something, and a plush wearing a hat didn’t usually frequent their establishment.

“ _I feel like there’s a bad joke begging to be told here.”_ My partner loved to chirp her two cents in from time to time, even though I was the only one who could hear her clever quips, the raven-haired manager of the Amagi Inn was already waving her friends over, a slight flush on her face was apparent thanks to the booze. “ _Hmm, a vigilante, a bounty hunter, an innkeeper, and a plushie all walk into a bar…”_

If it weren’t for Dee, I would’ve facepalmed so hard at that moment.


	2. Tranquillo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody gets drunk while trying to cheer up Yukiko

“You guysh are lllate.” Yukiko turned out to be slightly more inebriated then I anticipated, giggling as she smiled up at the approaching server, holding a fresh bottle of sake on his tray and a less than happy smile on her face. “I thought you forgot about me, just like the cushtomers.” She would reach for the bottle with a heavy sigh, growling like a dog whose territory had been pissed on when the redheaded bounty hunter swiped it off the plate instead.

“She’ll have a water. As for me, I’ve feeling like the biggest bowl of ramen you can muster. Extra pork, and don’t you dare skimp on the good shit.” Arnett would pop the cork on the sake and start chugging from it like it was no big deal, earning the ire of the raven-haired inn manager and an eye roll from yours truly. “What, shot glasses are for pussies.”

“Truly the picture of femininity at its finest.” I would sigh and take the seat next to the already buzzed Yukiko while plopping down Waddle Dee on the table, still not entirely sure how he keeps that hat on his head no matter how he moves. “I’ll have the seafood platter, heavy on the squid ink. And the little guy will have a piece of shortcake.” It wasn’t every day that we got to chow down on food that wasn’t microwaved, something Arnett whipped up on the fly, or God forbid something the nefarious Snow Black decided to whip up.

“Sir, that’s a plush toy.” The server would look from me, to Waddle Dee, back to me again before throwing his hands in the air up in defeat. “Fine, sure I’ll have your order put in immediately.” The guy was no doubt cursing up a storm at our group’s eccentricities, but hey, we’re paying customers and we paid for our plushie buddy to get his snack on.

“You guys have no idea how easy you have it: Arnie gets to chase bad guys, Waddle’s a plush, and you..what do you even do Daiken?” She was totally inching toward sloshed and had probably been going hard for a little bit longer then it took for Arnett and me to get here thanks to how close this place was to her precious inn. “Seriously, I wish I could do half the things you guys do every day. It must be so much fun living the way you guys do…”

“Oh, fuck off! You think what I do is a fantastic shoot ‘em B movie?!” That’s Arnett for you, she’s always been the first one to step into an argument no matter how trivial the subject, and God forbid if you decide to mention something involving strippers or sex workers. “I spend my days chasing down deadbeat dads who duck out of child support, morons who think they can skip town because their old lady is dumb enough to pay bail, and that’s **before** they decide to get cute and try pulling a knife or some shit.” She would point to a particularly visible scar along her neck, I wince out of sympathy because I’ve seen how desperate street punks can be.

And unlike me, Arnett didn’t have an alien symbiote to cover her fine ass when shit got crazy.

“Take today as a matter of fact, I was just supposed to find some asshat who failed to show up at his trial. It was just a simple seek n’ snatch, but when I get to the hotel..the son of a bitch is strung out on a hotel bed while his kid just sits on the other bed, watching Roadrunner one-up Wil E. Coyote while daddy chokes on his own vomit.” The redhead would sigh and take another long swig from her sake bottle, the mood around the table had gone from something out of a shitty sitcom to the beginning of a cable tv show that was rated MA. “So yeah, I don’t think that some online heat from some spoiled little hipster is worth drowning yourself in booze over.”

Yukiko still seemed unconvinced as a server calmly set down a glass of cold water for her, and another bottle for Arnett along with some shot glasses before reaching to set Waddle Dee aside. “Oh, please don’t move that. My friend here gets a little testy when the little guy gets moved from his spot, kind of a security blanket thing.”  I really wish she had had the dignity to whisper that last bit, much less glance at me with that sympathetic look that you usually reserve when you’re watching a cripple struggle to life something heavy. “By the way, could I get an order of tofu please?” The waitress would nod and jot the order for tofu down on the small notepad she had with her, stopping to spare me a “bless your heart” kind of look before strolling off.

“Well; I can’t really trump Arnett’s tracking down a deadbeat crack addict, but I do agree that you really need to let this shit with the negative review roll off your back.” I pull out the cork from the bottle and pour myself a couple “fingers” before letting my favorite bounty hunter guzzle the rest, I swear it’s like I enjoy seeing her swallow. “You know how well your inn is, the people of this town know how good the place is, your staff damn sure knows how good it is. So, let’s drink to the fucker!” I smirk before gesturing to the second shot glass, watching as she gave me a cheeky smile in return before taking the glass and raising it high alongside my own shot and Arnett’s bottle.

“To the best damn inn in our sleepy little town!” She would down the shot with ease, giggling a little bit as her face became a slightly deeper shade of drunk. “Hey, where’s our food?”

By the time the food finally showed up, Yukiko was laughing up a storm and waving Waddle Dee’s favorite hat around like some great flag. He did his best to stay perfectly still as a plushie would, but I know it was killing him to watch his most treasured (and only) possession being handled haphazardly.

“Woooo!! Fuck millennials!” The raven-haired young woman would keep waving the hat around before Arnett once again snatched it out of her hand and grinning. “Meanie..”

The huntress would just place the hat on her head and hold an empty saké bottle like a microphone before standing up on her seat and looking to the other guests as if they were her adoring audience. “Nosotros, Los Ingobernablésssss!!! De. Waddle! Dee!” She would burst out laughing before taking a tipsy bow and nearly face planting before recovering and straddling her seat and placing the hat back on a clearly annoyed Waddle Dee, patting him gently as she gave me a saucy wink and tried to snag a piece of Snow Black’s tofu.

“Don’t.” She would stop to let a small hiccup before swatting the invading hand aside and protecting the so-called food. “Don’t even try..bish!” This caused me to burst out laughing hysterically as I was trying not to choke on a piece of eel.

“Relax, Yuki-chan~” Arnett would snicker loudly before leading in close and grinning, giving her lips the tiniest of pecks. “Ya gots to be tranquillo, like El Jefe over there.” The drunken redhead would look over to Waddle Dee, having finished his shortcake and was literally trying to swim in Yukiko’s ramen juice.

“Alright dammit, we’ve endured your shenanigans for long enough! You’re bothering the regular folks, now pay the check and get the fuck out already!!!” We all looked over to see the manager of this eatery looming over our table with a heated glare, something that would’ve given me a bit more pause if it weren’t for the plushie shaking ramen juice out of his fur. “Did that toy just move? How did that thing just- AHH FUCK!? MY EYES!!!”

It was rare to see little Dee pull a Bushi and spit the colored mist, but he had plenty agitated already thanks to Arnett’s drunken horseplay.

“Annd that’s our cue, time to go people!” I may have been drunk off my ass but being a vigilante had given me just the kind of practice to pull a dine and dash. I grabbed “El Jefe” and watched as Yukiko literally bounded over the table and made a break for exit as Arnett was already making her own exit. “Money’s on the table, your eel fucking sucks!” Smirking like a complete idiot as Bushi Dee and I ran for the hills, it was times like this where I could sort of forget that I was bonded to some alien goop and being a much unwanted hero to a small town.

For a little bit of time, I was just an ungovernable punk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really debating making "Bushi Dee" a thing


	3. A Matter of Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daiken & Arnett argue over how best to help Yukiko out of her funk, also more escapades in superhero-ing.

After making complete asses of ourselves at that restaurant, we all decided to return to Arnett’s house to blow off some steam and give Yukiko a chance to sober up.

“It really takes a lot out of her doesn’t it, running that inn of hers.” Arnett would be busy putting a blanket over our already unconscious friend, a rare look of an emotion that wasn’t rage or gung-ho determination. “Almost makes me worry about her health, I mean I enjoy the drinking we do every week, but she’s been really stepping it up lately. I really think we should consider maybe laying off the sauce for a while.” The redhead would sigh and walk to the kitchen and fill up a glass of water, looking at me for some sort of response as she placed the cup of water and a couple of aspirin pills nearby.

“You’re overthinking this Arnett, it was probably just a light eating day for her. That’s not exactly grounds for calling our friend a freaking alcoholic, social media made everyone a complete dick.” I looked over to see our plushie buddy waddling his way around the kitchen, a bit of pep in his not-so much of a step, ever since the day I brought him back to my own little slum of an apartment he had displayed a knack for cleanliness that would put a 1950’s housewife to shame. “She just needs some time to rest, it’s not easy growing the type of callus needed to survive in the age of _Twatter_. You keep thinking that if you step away and take a breath that it’ll get better, that it’s gonna hurt less and you can power through it..life just doesn’t work that way. Sometimes you gotta stab back at the people trying to stab back at you.”

“That’s your answer, just fight fire with fire? How freaking immature are you?” She would stare at me with a surly expression: eyes narrowed, hands on her hips, muscles tensed to the point where she would throw a punch at me if necessary. I often imagine that this is the look she gave a perp after she had put him in cuffs and was reading them the riot act, but unlike them I wasn’t about to spit on her or piss myself out of fear. “The world isn’t as black and white as you like to think it is, the good guys can be just as corrupt as the people they’re trying to take down. Likewise, there’s some pretty upstanding choir boys that I run into that seemed to get roped down a bad path.” Her tone would go from a sense of “I told you so” to one of lamentation, as if she were reliving the time where she had to grill one of those choir boys before sending them off to the pokey.

“And you think that just because you see this shit that you know how everything works now? How everything’s just one big blob of gray!?” I could feel my “partner” trying to dampen my anger, sending some very euphoric chemicals to my brain to keep from unleashing havoc on my friend. “You spend your days rounding up bums who are too stupid to learn that if you do the crime, you do the time! There’s so much **worse** out there Arnett, and I pray to God that someday when I watch tv and see that some woman’s been raped or mutilated that your name or even Yukiko’s scroll across the screen, because then I’ll..I’ll..”

The redheaded woman would just groan as Waddle Dee did his best to dust the shelves of her apartment, with his trusty feather duster in hand he would combat the scourge of Dust Bunnies and other foes of a clean home. It was as if the argument was nothing but white noise against the epic duel between Waddle Dee and the bunnies living on the DVD shelf.

“ _Today’s the day your kingdom falls dastardly bunnies!”_ The sounds of AC/DC’s Thunderstruck would blare all around him, pumping him up and readying him to lay siege to the castle before him, the Dust Bunny army were now forming a sea of bodies to stand against him.

As if they believed they stood a chance against Dee and his mighty Dustrstorm. “ _Have at thee!!!”_ The music would reach a crescendo as the battle began in earnest, this would be the day that he conquered the bunnies.

Or died trying.

* * * * *

“ _You really need to learn to get a handle on your emotions, we Klyntar are very susceptible to the emotions of our hosts.”_ She was using the Tara Platt voice this time, it was a sign that I was in for a mother of a lecture and due to the fact that I can’t unequip her like a broad sword in an rpg I was forced to be a good boy and listen. _If we’re pushed too far in anger then we’re liable to corrupt one another and become nothing more than a savage criminal, never forget that we must maintain a balance of emotion at all times.”_

“How do you know all of these things, and while we’re on the subject: why bond with me?” I feel myself vaulting from one rooftop to the other, my muscles easily adapting to the augmented strength offered by this “Klyntar” thingy. “I’m not exactly at the top of the mythical superhero recruitment list, I honestly wouldn’t be able to do ninety percent of the things I can do now if it weren’t for your help.” I love the feeling of the wind flowing over my supercharged body; the emerald colored symbiote suit wasn’t truly meant to emphasize terror, instead I wanted to be a beacon of hope for this sleepy little town that my friends and I called home.

“ _You say that. But I’ve seen your memories, I can see the depths of your bravery even in the face of true danger.”_ Flashes of neon lights and the scent of bad cigar smoke would flood my senses, I feel the familiar rush of adrenaline and fear as I look down at the smoking gun in my hand and drop it quickly, as it were suddenly going to become a metal viper and bite me in reprisal for disturbing its peaceful slumber. “ _You made the right decision, had you not intervened then the woman would’ve suffered far worse then you can imagine.”_ I wanted to look away, to run even though my body refused to listen, and my ears began to pick up on the sounds of quiet sobbing from further on ahead.

 _“_ Stop it. There wasn’t anything heroic about what happened that night, I shot a guy in the back like a fucking coward.” My hands would begin to tremble as I lost focus on the cityscape below and remembered the metallic stench of blood on that night, the emptiness in the eyes of the man I killed, the churning feeling as my stomach so desperately wanted to empty itself. “A real hero would’ve disarmed the pig and called the police, what I did was no better than that man did: striking at a distracted opponent, and I even shot him in the back.”

“ _And if you hadn’t then that stripper would be dead..or worse.”_ I feel a charge of clarity as the memory faded away like a bad dream, the sounds of the nightlife: people enjoying themselves to the point of drunkenness, ignoring those that are just trying to go about their own lives even as the frivolities got more intrusive. “ _You did the right thing Daiken…sometimes to save a life, we need to be willing to take one.”_

“It just doesn’t feel right, heroes shouldn’t have to make that kind of choice.” A sharp scream of terror would be heard from further on ahead, causing him to leap down into the crowded streets and startle a pair of well dressed women in tacky fur coats before bounding through the traffic and into the alley ahead of him.

“Gimmie the purse you stupid bitch! “ A man with slicked back blonde hair and a bomber jacket struggling with a woman with short black hair, one side of it shaved as she furiously struggled to recover her property. “Stop struggling dammit, just give it to me!”

“That’s enough!!!” I let out a defiant roar before charging at the guy and knocking him down with a stiff clothesline, the purse flying free from the wannabe greaser’s hands before reaching down to grab him by the neck and drag him to his feet. “You think you can just go around and steal shit you friggin punk?! Not while I’m watching over this town!”

“Grrk! Not..Stealing!” Greaser boy would continue to struggle, his feet helplessly kicking at my chest as he desperately tried to free himself. “Can’t..breathe!”

“Let him go you freak, he was trying to HELP!” The girl from before would now be trying to beat me over the head with her purse, which while it wasn’t painful, it was extremely annoying as all hell. “My grandmother’s bracelet was caught in the zipper teeth you dick!” She would continue to try and give me something resembling a concussion, there was something heavy inside as she finally began to slow down. “Your little macho stunt just caused it to break, it was a family heirloom and you ruined it!”

 _“You might wanna put down the mook and look around.”_ I would do half of what my partner asked, looking around to see broken pieces of rosegold and diamond strewn along the ground before slowly putting two and two together. “ _We need to get outta here before this gets any uglier, we really fucked this one up!”_ With a heavy sigh I calmly set this 50’s wannabe down on the ground and make a break for it, my hands temporarily becoming claws as I slashed at the purse wielding woman trying to bash my head in as this night was turning into one hell of a disaster.

“I’m sorry..” I quickly decide to scale the side of the nearest building with my now-clawed appendages as the sound of police sirens were already blaring behind me, the anger in the pit of my chest was starting to burn at me like the beginnings of horrible ulcer or the results of using way too much chili in your tacos. “How do people like Spider-Man deal with this mess, I’m just trying to do the right thing!?”

For once in the course our bizarre little partnership, the symbiote had no answer to give me.

* * * * *

Yukiko Amagi would groan in pain as she heard the muted sounds of the late-night news from seemingly far off, her head was pounding like a tribal drum being used for ceremony and she was desperate for something to drink.

“There’s water and some asprin on the table next to you, Waddle Dee’s making dinner, and Daiken’s off somewhere being an ass.” Arnett would be flipping through the tv channels, sighing out of boredom as she casually removed her top and tossed it aside. “Goddamn it’s so hot tonight, how do you guys live out here during the summer?”

The dark-haired innkeeper would hold up a finger as she quickly downed the pills with a swig of water before polishing off the rest of the glass and then slowly getting to her feet for another one, trying her best to keep steady as she put one foot in front of the other. “You..you get used to it after a while, plus having a nice breeze blow through the window helps.” She would sigh as she filled the glass with water and chug it down as easily as she did the saké from earlier that day, heaving a sigh of relief as she did. “Or you could be like the inn and spring for a brand spanking new A/C system.”

Arnett would smirk knowingly, waiting for her drinking buddy to connect the dots and realize that she had forgotten something very important.

“Oh FUCK! The Inn!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I REALLY enjoy writing Waddle Dee in this story


	4. Responsibility & Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukiko returns to the inn with a hangover, takes a tongue lashing, and catches up with an old friend

Yukiko Amagi’s life had been in something of a noticeable rut since the Investigation Team moved further into their adult lives, meaning that she had finally had to step up and take more responsibility when it came to managing the Amagi Inn as a proprietress while the others had all moved on pursue their own goals. “ _I can’t believe I allowed myself to get black-out drunk again, I only hope Kasai-san will understand this time.”_ The raven-haired heiress would do her best to tie her hair into her trademark bun while looking over the latest reviews for the inn, sighing in frustration as the bun slipped free once again even as her eyes locked onto the latest swarm of one-star review bombs. “ _I swear to God, Social Media’s going to be the death of me.”_ Deciding against exacerbating her impending aneurysm, she decided to go on her personal profile and see if there were any pictures of their latest antics because her mind could only remember so much past the remains of her hangover.

“ _Days like today used to be normal for me: with Chie and the others sitting around a Junes table trying to solve murders occurring inside of a TV world, it was like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon.”_ She would sigh wistfully as memories of team meetings, fighting shadows, the occasional trip to somewhere fun, and a certain silver-haired young man who was both the team’s leader and someone very precious to her. “ _I wonder if Narukami-kun’s doing okay in the city, I bet he doesn’t have to deal with a bunch of spoiled brats online who have nothing better to do with their lives.”_ Yukiko would groan as she chastised herself for dwelling on the issue once again; her friends had taken time out of their own busy lives to meet up and drink themselves silly, and Arnett had even stayed with her until she had regained consciousness before leaving her with a few words of advice before going off to unwind.

 _“Don’t waste your time arguing with trolls, it just gives them the attention they want. So, starve the motherfuckers already!”_ The bus would finally turn the corner to her stop, leading her to pull on the yellow card to signal the driver, saying a quick word of thanks as she stepped off the vehicle and beginning her arduous trek back to her family’s prestigious inn.

 _“I really do owe those guys a lot for putting up with my behavior, maybe I can give them a discounted rate at the inn or something.”_ Yukiko would continue to walk along the path that would lead her back to the business that demanded a bigger share of her attention with every passing day, the weight of it all seemingly doing nothing more than adding to her current woes. “ _I know I made the choice to take charge of the inn after everything that happened, but back then it all seemed like it was a long time away and that I would be more prepared for what was coming.”_ The raven-haired woman would sigh as she felt the dull echoes of her headache, wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for the remainder of the night before having to face the severe tongue-lashing that was associated with one of Kasai-san’s lectures on responsibility.

* * * * *

The threat of the Dust Bunnies had been vanquished, but the cost to the surrounding area was steep as Waddle Dee surveyed the wreckage of the battle he had waged: buildings lay in smoking ruins as the bodies of the enemy were strewn everywhere, the people were doing their best to deal with the aftermath as mothers searched for their children, wives grieved for the loss of their husbands, and homes were reduced to naught but rubble.

The mighty Dee would weep as the realization had dawned on him that he too was to blame for this destruction, he was no hero to these people.

He was a monster, a beast even!

However, Arnett would just look on at the defeated little plush, dropping the dust buster and shaking his “fist” to the heavens.

“That boy ain’t right…” The redhead would mutter to herself before continuing to pick up around the living room.

* * * * *

“Out late drinking again I see, not to mention how you and those people always manage to stir up some kind of controversy” Yukiko would gasp in shock to find that it was not the usually understanding Kasai that greeted her, but her own mother that stood at the entrance to the Amagi Inn with a less than enthused scowl upon her aging face. “I had to spend an **hour** apologizing to the manager of the White Minnow for my daughter’s drunken antics! Don’t you understand that we already have enough bad press as it is without the four of you making things worse?!”

The raven-haired woman may have been manager of the inn in every legal definition that the title gave her, but in the face of an incensed parent, she would feel as small and diminutive as the little girl she was in the past. “I understand that, and I didn’t mean to cause any sort of harm to the inn.” She would taking a calming breath as she looked the older woman straight in the eye, trying to act like the responsible adult she needed to be in that moment- not the chastised drunk who was still trying to work past a hangover. “I just needed to blow off some steam, I’m sorry mother.” Yukiko’s voice would trail off as the creases in her mother’s face only deepened in reaction to her words, it was clear that she had disgraced not only the image of the family business, but her mother’s image of her daughter as a fine upstanding citizen

The older woman would sigh in exhaustion as she rubbed her temples to relieve the building headache that had been bothering her on and off for some time now, her doctor had instructed that she take it easy and leave things to her daughter. “I know that things have been tense since you’ve stepped into the limelight sweetheart, but this is part of your responsibilities as management.” The older woman would cross her arms sternly as she looked upon her daughter with little to no sympathy over the matter, even as Yukiko did her best to stand resolute in the face of a brow beating. “Which is why I’ve contacted a PR firm to find someone to handle this social media stupidity, **your** focus should be on making sure that the inn keeps running as well as it always has.” She would smile tiredly as her daughter’s shoulders were racked with tension as she absorbed the news in question, there was still much for the young proprietress to learn and plenty of time to learn it in.

Provided she could stay away from bad influences of course.

* * * * *

“And that’s what happened, I got a little tipsy over at a restaurant and had a little fun with my friends. It’s not like we tore up the place or anything, we just got a little rowdy is all.” Yukiko would snicker a bit as she remembered Arnett trying to snatch away her bottle of saké but managing to stave off the red-headed demon, all of this while Waddle Dee treated a bowl of ramen like a kiddie pool and Daiken drooled over the whole ordeal like a horny dog. “Besides, we paid for everything! At least, that’s what Daiken-san said happened. I was pretty hammered by the time we left.” She could feel herself flush in embarrassment as the raven-haired innkeeper sat in front of her tablet, the disapproving yet tired expression on her best friend Chie Satonaka’s face made it plenty clear that life as a beat cop had hardened her somewhat.

“Sheesh Yukiko, I know it’s been a little bit since we were all together, but all of this drinking can’t be good for you.” The brown-haired woman would pause to take a swig of whatever was in her own glass on the other end, the apartment on the other end was dimly let by the light of a tv displaying a kung-fu movie with the sound muted. “Hold on a sec, is this the same Daiken that you said couldn’t hold down a job to save his ass???” The kung-fu adoring Chie would shake her head incredulously at the thought of her friend essentially hanging out with a bona fide bum.

“I-it’s not that he can’t hold down a job, Daiken’s just restless when it comes to occupations. He never seems to stick with anything long term, and sometimes he even works two or more jobs at once just to keep things afloat.” The raven-haired innkeeper couldn’t help but agree with her friend’s earlier statement about the man’s flaky job status, although he would often show up to their get-togethers looking worn down by the rigors of the day or even sporting the occasional bruise or scrape. “But I’ll admit that he really does do the best he can with..whatever it is he’s doing this week.”

Chie would scoff as she finished her drink and gave a tired sigh, seemingly less than impressed with the other woman’s defense of this argument as she leaned back in her squeaky chair and seemed to stare off into the distance slightly. “I just don’t get why you’d hang out with someone who may or may not be unemployed in the next twenty-four hours anyhow.” The brunette would furrow her brow in thought for a moment before her eyes widened in shock as she fell back to the floor, speculation getting the best of her as she hit the floor with a bundle of noise as the camera shook slightly. “Oww, I’ve really gotta get a new chair.” The kung-fu loving officer would wince as she rubbed her head a bit before sitting down once again, only this time she was sporting a bit of a mischievous smirk. “You like this jobless wonder, don’t you?”

Yukiko would stare at her best friend with an incredulous expression, grateful that she hadn’t been drinking anything during the conversation as she would’ve made one hell of a spit take. “N-no, that’s not it all! He’s a good guy to have around when you need something fixed or just someone to vent to but..” She would let her voice trail off as Chie raised a curious eyebrow, as if the other were waiting for her to spill the metaphorical tea on the situation. “He’s my friend. And to be honest, I owe him for getting me out of a jam on the night we met.”

* * * * *

It had been less than half a year since Yukiko Amagi had officially stepped up to the role of manager, and despite her insistence to start things off on a proper foot, she had been roped into having a celebratory drink with Kasai and the senior members of the inn’s staff.

“ _You should enjoy yourself while you still can, because tomorrow it all goes downhill from here!”_ Yukiko would groan as she walked down the path back to the inn as she tried to clear the cobwebs from her head even as her vision continued to both blur and double, stumbling occasionally as keeping her balance was becoming a bigger issue by the minute. “ _Go on, drink. Drink! You’re a young lady, you’ll be able to bounce back from it in no time!”_ The sound of Kasai’s raucous laughter serving as a sobering reminder to trust her instincts and stop drinking when the little voice in her head was screaming at the top of her lungs.

“Now what’s a sweet little thing like you doing out here by yourself?” The sound of a gruff, cigarette-worn voice would snap the dark-haired woman out of her alcohol-riddled haze and looked to see that not only had she wandered off the path back to the inn but was now surrounded by a few roughneck looking men. “Seems like you’ve had quite the night little lady, maybe you should come back to our place and sleep it off. After the boys back at the clubhouse give you a “proper welcome” of course.” The trio of bikers would chuckle to themselves as they surrounded the newly-promoted inn manager, occasionally reaching out to pet her hair or feel up her thighs.

“N-no, I’m already..with someone.” Yukiko would give the leader a half-assed shove as her fight-or-flight instincts kicked her, the adrenaline starting to shake her loose from her drunken stupor as she turned to run only to find that the bigger of the three goons would wrap his arms around her in a bear hug. “Stop. You’re hurting me!” She was desperate to flee from this situation and crawl back into bed, more than willing to blame this disaster on the alcohol and hope it would fade away with the hangover.

“Hey! I dunno what the word “no” translates to in Greaserville, but where I come from when a lady tells you to stop. You’re supposed to fucking stop, you goddamn walking meatball!”

For a moment, her heart would swell with the hope that her silver-haired prince had suddenly returned to Inaba to save the day. But upon hearing the expletives fly from the shadows, that feeling of elation turned to one of confusion and then horror as thoughts of a good Samaritan getting beaten to a pulp was not an appealing one.

“Hehehehe, why don’t you try saying that to my face **boy**.” The lead biker would dig into the pocket of his vest and pull out a butterfly knife, twirling and spinning it arrogantly as he surveyed the darkened path before him with a knowing smirk. “C’mon now little man, don’t tell me you went and ran away after talking all that big game-“ He would stop talking as he felt something strike his eye, causing him to howl in pain as his eye began to water due to the sudden impact.

“You alright Rock??” The slender biker would run up to his leader as he stared out into the path ahead of him before looking down to see something small rolling around his boot, kneeling to inspect it closely before tossing it aside with a huff. “It’s just a damn toy!” The other man would barely finish as something else flew out of the shadows and lodged itself in the man’s throat as he started choking and gasping for air.

“The proper term is _Bakugan_ , and they’re quite the nifty little choking hazard if I do say so myself.” The head biker Rocco was distracted by his underling’s plight to notice the black-haired stranger holding a sock loaded with change aimed at his dome, at least until he was on the ground with a splitting headache and groaning softly. “Here, lemme help you with that stranger!” The newcomer she would later call a friend would knee the man in the groin, sending him to his knees even as the toy was mercifully dislodged from his throat.

“You stupid little shit!” The rotund biker would toss a started Yukiko to the ground as he reached inside his vest pocket to pull out a hand gun and aim it at the dark-haired newcomer, who was far from frightened at the prospect of his life ending with the squeeze of a trigger even as the woman on the ground held back a gasp of fright. “Ain’t no plastic toy strong enough to deflect a bullet, hope you’ve made your peace with God son because you’re toast!”

The shot was loud enough to drown out her scream as the crisis was seemingly at its end, although as she looked up at the moon in the sky that hung over her head she was surprised to see her savior was the last man standing over her, although judging by how he was holding his shoulder the victory wasn’t entirely flawless.

“You’re hurt, we need to get you to a hospital and get you proper treatment.” Yukiko would wince as she tried to push off the ground to stand, her wrist screaming in pain whenever she tried to apply pressure to it. “I think I broke my wrist when that big doofus threw me aside like a sack of potatoes.” She would sigh and turn back to offer an apologetic smile to the young man, giggling when she saw the slightest hint of a blush on his cheeks.

* * * * *

“So, the guy takes a bullet for you and you’re automatically indebted to him? I mean, I’ve saved your ass in the TV world a bunch of times and alls I got was a “Thanks Chie.” The brunette-haired woman would laugh quietly as she poured another drink, her tone more jovial than her biting words implied. “All the more reason for me to suspect that you have a thing for him!” Chie would give a sly smirk as the inn manager looked away in embarrassment as she ran her fingers through her hair, seemingly proving her point as her friend didn’t outright deny it this time.

Yukiko would frown in thought as she mulled over the kung-fu lover’s words to herself, allowing herself to entertain the thought of the two of them being something more. “ _It just doesn’t seem right, he definitely seems more interested Arnett and her..assets.”_ She would smirk to herself as she pictured the younger Daiken becoming somewhat more muscular due to the more labor intensive of his jobs, as well as going through a myriad of hair colors and styles as time marched forward in her mind. “ _Besides, how could I spend my life with someone who doesn’t even know who he wants to be?”_

“Hellooo, earth to Yukiko. Are you still with me here?” Chie would sigh on the other end as she finished her drink and set down the glass while waiting for her friend to snap back into the conversation. “Wow, I didn’t realize how much this rattled your cage.”

The raven-haired innkeeper would smile knowingly as she turned back to face her friend, the thoughts of a relationship with her friend would be shoved to the back of her mind.

“It really doesn’t. Besides, we both know that there’s only one guy for me.”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long, life really hits hard sometimes


End file.
